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Tadese Feyse of Ethiopia dominated the women’s race, winning by more than two minutes in 2:23:26.

Men’s race –

A pack of 20 took off from the start line at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul lead by Loyanae, whose personal best of 2:09:23 was set at the Gyeongju Marathon last year. He would kep his dominance until the finish line.

By the 5th kilometre mark the pack split into two groups of 12 and eight runners. The leading group went through 5 km mark in 14:56 leaving the second pack some 50 metres behind. Among the leaders were Kenyans James Kipsang Kwambai, 29, (PB 2:04:27), 22-year old Eliud Kiptanui with PB 2:05:39 set in 2010, Philip Kimutai Sanga (PB 2:06:07), Felix Kipkemboy Keny, 25 (PB 2:07:36, 2010), Charles Munyeki Kiama, 25, (PB 2:07:06, 2009) and Edwin Kangogo Kimaiyo, 26 (PB 2:09:50, 2011). Eritrean Yonas Kifle, a sub-2:08 runner, was also in the chase.

The leading dozen passed the 10 km mark in 29:45 accelerating by 7 seconds, compared with the previous 5 km. The group of eight following them thinned to six losing two Korean runners and falling more than a hundred metres behind.

The 15 km mark was passed by the same 12-runner pack in 44:46, 12 seconds slower than the previous 5 km. The chase group also slowed, lagging 47 seconds behind the pack. The 20 km mark was passed by the same dozen men in 59:46 moving with almost the same speed, while the six-man chase pack now lagged almost 400 metres behind.

At 25 km (1:14:46) the pack was reduced to 11, losing one Kenyan runner but keeping the same speed.

By the 30th kilometre the leaders accelerated a bit, by 3 seconds, compared with the previous 5 km, having passed it in 1:29:43, and losing two more Kenyans - Kangogo and Michael Kagumu Chege, who clocked 2:14:19 in Chuncheon last year. The leaders passed 35 km in 1:45:14, the nine still running as a group with a chance to win.

Over the next 5 km stretch the runners started dividing the prize purse. Loyanae made a bold surge to the front and passed 40 km mark in 1:59:25, 1:20 faster than the previous 5 km. The rest of the pack also accelerated but was now stretched along the closing segment of the course. Loyenae’s nearest rivals, Kipsang Kwambai and Kiptanui, fell behind by 50 and 250 metres respectively at 40 km. Loyenae continued accelerating and finished unchallenged.

Kipsang Kwambai clocked 2:06:03 for second, with Kiptanui third in 2:06:44, both under the previous course record. Kifle, who finished eighth, was the only non-Kenyan in the top-10.

Women’s race –

From the gun 23-year-old Feyse took charge of a large pack of 15 and never lost the lead.

By the 5th kilometre (16:50) the pack thinned to four including Feyse: her compatriot Askale Tafa Magarsa, 27 (PB 2:21:31, 2008), and Kenyans Hellen Wanjiku Mugo (PB 2:36:28, 2011) and Flomena Chepchichir (2:24:21, 2011). Frankfurt Marathon. A group of 10 followed 49 seconds behind. Among these was 29-year-old Serena Burla from the U.S. who arrived with a 2:35:08 career best.

The pack of four passed 10 km in 34:00, slowing down by 20 seconds compared with the previous 5 km; 15 km was reached in 51:16, while the chae pack was reduced to six.

By the 20 Km (1:08:17) mark Wanjiku Mugo was dropped as the three remaining in the hunt forged on through 25 km in 1:25:22. By 30 km (1:42:18) Chepchirchir was dropped as well leaving just the two Ethiopians.

Five kilometres later Feyse had a nine-second lead on Magarsa before pulling away in the waning stages en route to a personal best by nearly two minutes. Magarsa was next across the line in 2:25:29 with Burla moving up to finish third in 2:28:27, nearly seven minutes better than her previous best.